This invention relates to the field of electrical interconnects and more particularly to radio frequency (RF) interconnects that find application in radio transceivers.
Radio transceivers usually include a main printed circuit board (PCB) attached to a metal frame or casting. An external antenna is typically attached directly to the RF input/output (i.e. antenna terminal or connector) of the radio transceiver.
In the past, coaxial cable has been used to provide a constant impedance, such as a 50 Ohm impedance between the printed circuit board and the antenna terminal. However, the use of coaxial cable creates problems in the manufacture of the radio transceiver because it requires a separate soldering and wire stripping operation which is usually done by hand.
It would therefore be desirable to have an interconnect or RF contact that could be entirely machine assembled to offer a more economical alternative, has the characteristic impedance of the design, and allows for ease of assembly and self alignment. Because of inherent dimensional manufacturing tolerances between the antenna terminal or connector and the frame or casting assembly with the attached printed circuit board, it would thus be advantageous if this interconnect or RF contact could compensate for any misalignment between the antenna terminal and the frame assembly, while still maintaining good electrical contact when assembled but could also be easily disassembled.